The police complaints watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), has said it is seeking further details from police about a serious crash just outside Bristol this morning (November 6) that left a driver with life-threatening injuries.
The collision took place in the early hours of Wednesday morning, at about 2am, on the A370 near Flax Bourton, involving a black BMW 5 series. The driver and passenger were both taken to hospital, with the driver believed to have sustained life-threatening injuries.
Avon and Somerset Police said in a statement that a marked police vehicle was immediately behind the car at the time of the collision, and came across it just after it had crashed after rounding a sweeping bend.
Police said the incident was reported to the IOPC, with a spokesperson for the body confirming that they had been advised, and were seeking a fuller report from Avon and Somerset Police before deciding whether to investigate the incident.
An IOPC spokesperson said: “We were advised this morning by Avon and Somerset Police of a road traffic collision on the A370 near Flax Bourton. We have requested a fuller referral from the force, which we will assess to decide whether any investigation by the IOPC is required.”
The IOPC is a body that is completely independent of the police, and investigates the most serious complaints made against police in England and Wales.
The A370 was closed in both directions by Avon and Somerset Police following the collision, and remains closed as of 9.45am for accident investigation work. For live updates from the scene, visit our blog here.